diff --git a/changelogs/fragments/436-infoblox-use-stderr-and-environment-for-config.yaml b/changelogs/fragments/436-infoblox-use-stderr-and-environment-for-config.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..7a7a0445cb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelogs/fragments/436-infoblox-use-stderr-and-environment-for-config.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+minor_changes:
+  - infoblox inventory script - use stderr for reporting errors, and allow use of environment for configuration (https://github.com/ansible-collections/community.general/pull/436).
diff --git a/scripts/inventory/infoblox.py b/scripts/inventory/infoblox.py
index 6b2cae0b3f..9e985a9eb9 100644
--- a/scripts/inventory/infoblox.py
+++ b/scripts/inventory/infoblox.py
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ from ansible_collections.community.general.plugins.module_utils.net_tools.nios.a
 
 
 CONFIG_FILES = [
+    os.environ.get('INFOBLOX_CONFIG_FILE', ''),
     '/etc/ansible/infoblox.yaml',
     '/etc/ansible/infoblox.yml'
 ]
@@ -44,7 +45,7 @@ def main():
         if os.path.exists(config_file):
             break
     else:
-        sys.stdout.write('unable to locate config file at /etc/ansible/infoblox.yaml\n')
+        sys.stderr.write('unable to locate config file at /etc/ansible/infoblox.yaml\n')
         sys.exit(-1)
 
     try:
@@ -53,7 +54,7 @@ def main():
         provider = config.get('provider') or {}
         wapi = WapiInventory(provider)
     except Exception as exc:
-        sys.stdout.write(to_text(exc))
+        sys.stderr.write(to_text(exc))
         sys.exit(-1)
 
     if args.host: